Otto and I talk on the phone every night. Occasionally we only talk for twenty minutes or so---if it's very late, or one of us has to go somewhere, or if I'm sick and cranky and need to sleep---and even more rarely we talk for closer to three hours; but most of the time we talk for an hour or two. Sometimes I wonder if we'll run out of things to talk about, what with being unable to engage in the natural pacing provided by a face-to-face relationship where you can stop talking and make out for a while when you don't have anything to say. So far, so good. Plus, this way we don't feel guilty...
This morning BOTH of my children awoke healthy---if not entirely cheerful---and I sang "You are going to school to-day! You are going to school to-day!" until they both glared at me and plotted their revenge together at the breakfast table. I should probably be worried, but it's hard to take the revenge plans of people chewing animal-shaped vitamins seriously. We shuffled through the crisp air to the bus stop, amused ourselves by chiding each other for "smoking" and trying to make interesting shapes with the misty breath coming from our mouths, and then waved goodbye as the bus pulled away....
Tonight we have two choices for scintillating posts: Either the story of the Christmas cake or a self-pitying whinefest about how our planned trip was called off, Chickadee is only slightly better, I am now sick, and Monkey was looking pretty peaked in front of his dinner. (Which would---in and of itself---not be so bad, except that his demeanor didn't change when I removed the pasta and gave him ICE CREAM. Gee, do you think he's sick?) Yeah, I think the Christmas cake story is the obvious choice. When Otto and his siblings and his cousins were growing up, there was a special cake one of his...
We're having a jolly old Yuletide here at Casa Mir. It's going exactly as you might expect, only moreso. After one week of constant togetherness and endless projects and mess, I am pleased to report that Otto and I still like each other. (Though we naturally assume that other people would be unable to maintain this level of conviviality, mostly because we do not want to imagine anyone else taking a break from caulking to have sex.) (Not that we would ever do that.) In fact, we have Flip That House on right now and when the announcer said, "Doug and Cindy are on week 2---" Otto followed with,...
Two things for today … Okay, maybe three. One: I’m not Mir, this is Otto writing. Two: Mir IS the bargain queen, but there are consequences. As you know, she’s been renovating this and repairing that around the house. This morning, we hopped into my old truck and headed to the local Everything You Ever Need For Your Home store to pick up more stuff. On the list: Five feet of counter top Bathroom sink and faucet Metal dryer venting Hangers for metal dryer venting Screws to attach hangers for metal dryer venting Not officially on the list but tucked into the back of our minds was a new...
"I think this little girl wants to play, too," I tell my children. Monkey obediently scoots back to make room, but as the interloper reaches for the toy, Chickadee starts telling her to sit back and watch, she will show her how it works. "Chickadee." No response. "CHICKADEE. Please let her have it." "I'm just SHOWING her---" "She can figure it out. Let her have it." She ignores me, and puts her hand up to the offender once more, explaining that she will demonstrate. "Chickadee. NOW." She turns over the toy but stands with a huff and a stomp and starts to leave. "Chickadee. Don't leave,...
So last night, I got home (the trip back was as uneventful as the trip there, save for the lady next to me on the plane sucking down drinks in a manner that made it necessary for her to exclaim loudly to her companion across the aisle about every fascinating item in her Stampin' Up! catalog) and ran around my house turning the heat back up and went through my mail and then sat down to tell you every fascinating little iota about my mini-vacation. And discovered that my internet connection wasn't working. It was touch-and-go there for a few minutes, while I tried to remember what one does...
Hello! I ate my weight in fat and sugar yesterday. Today I shall repent by... going to another Festival of Eating. Ack. People, I do not recommend hiring Otto as your cruise director. I go where he tells me to, and where he takes me always seems to involve a lot of calories. I think he's trying to fatten me up. I shall have to start poking a chicken bone out of my cage when he asks to see how fat my fingers have gotten. Anyway, mostly I want to report that flying on Thanksgiving Day is absolutely the way to go. Never in my life have I had a less eventful, more pleasant day of travel. All of...
